Supporting education through midday meals
Many children in India (belonging to low-income families) find themselves involved in real-world battles quite early in life. In a country where the Right to Education is a law, up to 126,66,377 children work in various sectors just to earn the daily meal. However, a change has been steadily brewing in which children today are opting for education over work.
Every child should be educated
Previously, many families viewed a child as an additional source of income to feed the family and feed the children. This has changed considerably over the years. Thanks to the initiatives and schemes of the Government of India, many children are now encouraged to attend school. Also, when children began to benefit from school lunch programs, they began to bring their siblings, which solved the problem for most parents.
Changes over the years
The 1998 National Census of India estimated the total number of working children, ages 4-15, at 12.6 million, out of a total child population of 253 million in the age group 5-14 years. The 2011 National Census of India found the total number of working children, ages 5-14, to be 4.35 million, and the total child population to be 259.64 million in that age group. So yes, the numbers have decreased, but the problem of getting children to school remains unsolved.
A National Policy on Child Labor was formulated in 1987 and since then the government has tried to ensure that children attend school. One of the government’s most notable steps has been the enactment of the ‘Law on the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education’ or Law on the Right to Education, also known as RTE. It was enacted on August 4, 2009, outlining the modalities of the importance of free and compulsory education for children aged 6-14 in India under Article 21A of the Indian Constitution. In addition, the government set about accelerating the various policies on early childhood education in its existing system.
One such step was the launch of the Midday Meal Plan in 2004. This plan has undergone several reforms over the years with a view to including all public schools in the system. The main goal of the Noon Meals Program is to provide a healthy meal to children to encourage them to come to school. The government has partnered with non-governmental organizations to efficiently implement MDMS in schools to reach as many children as possible.
Noon Meal Program Benefits
Children are now encouraged to attend school and so far this has proven to be beneficial for all parents who are from the economically weaker sections. Parents are now realizing that they can feed their children by relying on school lunch programs. The Midday Meal Plan has benefited the children in more ways than one. Properly nourished children are more motivated to work hard at school, experience overall physical and mental growth, and understand the importance of having ambitions for the future.
The impact on children’s lives has been tremendous since the organization implemented its Midday Meal Program. There are stories of hope where children have truly benefited from the Food for Education mission. You can be a part of this amazing cause of encouraging kids to go to school. Sponsor a child today!